Friday, December 30, 2011

We’ve made our last run to the airport to drop off holiday visitors, packed away the Christmas decorations for another year, and now turn our attention to the coming week and our first dogs shows of the new year.

We will be at the legendary Empire Polo Grounds in Indio CA this first week in January for two of the largest shows we will see all year, the Kennel Club of Palm Springs two all breed offerings. We expect to see many of 2012’s serious contenders for the first time, vying for a share of the 6500 dogs available on Saturday & Sunday. As a bonus there are seven of the largest limited breed shows we will see all year, the Inland Empire Hound Club Of Southern California Friday show and Thursday/Friday twofers hosted by the Desert Empire Terrier Club Of Southern California, the Toy Dog Breeders Association Of Southern California, & the Sand To Sea Non-Sporting Association Of Southern California,

For those of you who can’t make it to California’s desert playground, there are plenty of regional contests to enjoy. The Land O' Lakes Kennel Club’s two weekend shows in St Paul MN will also feature Friday limited breed warm ups, the Northstar Working Group Association, the North Star Toy Dog Club, & the North Star Herding Group Club shows. The North Texas Non-Sporting Association will do the Friday kick off for the Nolan River Kennel Club’s Saturday/Sunday shows in Glen Rose TX, 80 miles southwest of Dallas.

There are three all breed shows for Great Lakes residents in Tallmadge OH starting Friday courtesy of the Columbiana County Kennel Club & the Rubber City Kennel Club. Finally weekend warriors will be in Clemson SC & Deland FL for traditional Saturday/Sunday fare with the Clemson Kennel Club & the Greater Daytona Dog Fanciers Association.

We hope you will join us and our Best In Show Daily partners on the Polo Grounds to help us celebrate the launch of our new site and to see 2012’s Top Dogs for the first time. If you can’t be in Palm Springs, do take in the AKC dog show nearest you. Be the first on your block to see the new crop of contenders for Number One Dog All Breeds!

Sunday, December 25, 2011

We don’t know if it’s the sentimentality of advanced age or just the wisdom that comes with the passing years, but we come each year to appreciate more each new place we visit, each new person we meet, and each new show dog we encounter. 2011 has been a year when we’ve been treated to many new friends, both the two legged and four legged kind.

When we look back on this year we marvel on what experiences life laid out for us. Three things that will remain in our scrapbook were the close races in individual breeds, in the individual Groups, and even in the all breed race; the number of breed records that fell during the year; and dramatically, the intervention of the very real natural world into our cloistered sporting world.

2011 Top Two Hounds

We had dramatic races in the breed in English Springer Spaniels, Maltese, & Standard Poodles. The Poodles were especially interesting as both the Number One & Two, GCH CH Brighton Lakeridge Encore & GCH CH Jaset’s Satisfaction, were in the Top Ten All Breed Dogs. Also galloping toward the finish line were two Hounds, another pair in the Top Ten, the Whippet, GCH CH Starline’s Chanel & the Pharaoh Hound, GCH CH Northgate’s As You Like It, with the Whippet pulling ahead in the stretch.

Lurking just outside the Top Ten were the Top Two Herding Dogs, the German Shepherd, GCH CH Babheim’s Captain Crunch, & the Bearded Collie, GCH CH Tolkien Raintree Mister Baggins, who ended the year separated by just a handful of points. We also had a down to the wire race in the Terrier Group between the Smooth Fox Terrier, GCH CH Slyfox Sneaks a Peek, & the Wire Fox Terrier, GCH CH Steele Your Heart, with the Wire pulling out in front the last week of the year.

We had several breed records set during the year. In addition to the aforementioned Pharaoh Hound & Whippet, the 15” Beagle, GCH CH Torquay Midnight Confession, also set a breed record 45 career BIS this year. Another Top Ten Dog that finished the year as the breed record holder was the Kuvasz, GCH CH Szumeria’s Wildwood Silver Six Pence. Though they failed to make it to the top in all breed points, both the Skye Terrier, GCH CH Cragsmoor Buddy Goodman, and the above named Beardie, captured the most Group Ones in their respective Groups while setting new breed records, the Skye breaking an almost 40 year old record.

Lightening in Florida, Floods in New Jersey

Finally, we started the year with show cancellations in Florida caused by severe thunderstorms & lightening, endured September interruptions in New Jersey caused by flooding, and finished with show stopping November blizzards in New England. Nonetheless, exhibitors and fanciers returned to the ring unabated, finishing the year with a record setting AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in Orlando FL.

We think this has been our favorite year. Did we mention that we also welcomed our second grandchild, Olivia Willow Wheeler, to the family on November 16th? A very good year.

NUMBER EIGHT

NUMBER NINE

NUMBER TEN

SHOW INFO

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The author has been attending dog shows as a spectator and exhibitor for over 45 years. He is a retired management consultant who has advised multiple organizations affiliated with the AKC and the Cat Fanciers Association on business management, long range planning, customer service, and legislative matters. After 25 years of living in the big cities of New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, he now resides in his hometown of Memphis, TN.

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